Prairie dogs out, grass seed in at Monarch Park

Only a few prairie dogs remain at the Monarch Park Open Space on the corner of 79th Street and Highway 52, clearing the way for a reseeding operation by Boulder County that began in early April. The animals had eaten much of the vegetation down to dirt, causing erosion near the trails and draws, and encouraging weeds to move in, according to Boulder County invasive plants supervisor Joe Swanson.

The county used lethal control, placing carbon monoxide cartridges in the dens before the reseeding began. Because of the underground method, Communications Specialist Vivienne Jannatpour couldn't say how many prairie dogs were killed but reported that the population was low due to the devastated landscape. A small number of prairie dogs remain on both sides of Highway 52.

"It's really hard to get vegetation started if everything that comes up they eat off," Swanson said. "You stay in a kind of stagnant state. Eventually, I'm sure they'll be coming back in there."

Prairie dogs spread out in a natural environment, but fragmented, developed landscapes in Boulder County make it difficult for them to move to greener pastures, causing them to eat everything in their habitat, Swanson explained.

The county is planting a mix of grasses and flowering plants that can better coexist with prairie dogs and will support a greater variety of species including nesting birds, including meadowlarks, killdeers and wild turkeys. Nesting birds are under pressure as the human population of the Front Range continues to expand.

"They are one of our most declining species," Swanson said. "Their number one problem is loss of habitat and fragmentation of that habitat."

A healthy mix of flowering plants will also support insects, including bees, not only for the nectar but also as a home between the plants. "Bunch grasses will leave spaces between with bare dirt and native pollinators will nest and lay eggs or overwinter in the soil," she said.

Swanson said the vegetation will also support small mammals who become a source of food for bobcats, foxes and raptors such as hawks, eagles and owls that live in the area.

The county also piled up several mounds of fallen branches to create habitat for insects and a place for rabbits and squirrels to take cover from those raptors. Dead wood can also provide a place for species to nest. "The interconnectivity is pretty amazing," Swanson said.

The reseeding will continue over two to three years. Warm season grasses should start sprouting in the next couple of months. The 100-acre county-owned open space parcel includes part of the LOBO trail as well as a trail connecting to the LOBO Trail from the Peppertree subdivision beginning at Niwot Road, and includes a trailhead off Monarch Road.